Friday, August 29, 2014

I hadn't listened to this Tom Petty album in quite a while and was reminded of how much I love it at a wedding we attended in San Luis Obispo a few weekends ago. Wildflowers is one of my favorite songs and when the album first came out, I had taught myself to play it on the guitar. It's simple and lovely and easy to sing and just the kind of song I like to sing to my daughter before she goes to bed. She quickly agreed about the song and it is in heavy rotation in our house right now at bed time. Wildflowers brings many things to mind, but as most Tom Petty albums do for me, it reminds me of all the things I love about California. With our weather soon headed for fall and summer at the same time...if you have never been up here some of our warmest days and coolest nights are in the early fall, I was inspired by the simplicity of the album cover to pull together some fall + summer pieces that I will be wearing all at once come September.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

I feel like it's been a while since I updated you all on what has been happening in the studio. Things are nearly in order after the move and the final piece of furniture came today to help tidy up the shipping station. It's been wonderful to have such incredible light, a beautiful view, and lots of critters big and small wandering around the perimeter. I'll be sure to share some photos soon!

In the mean time, I wanted to share with you two of my newest designs. Introducing the Tamarancho and Vista Ridge Slip Necklaces. The inspiration for the design of the chain came from the clasp itself. I originally procured these to be used as the clasp on my Hand Knotted Statement Necklaces. The clasp was so beautiful that I wanted to find a way to make it a central design feature, which is why I like styling it with a fully buttoned shirt to really showcase the clasp.

These designs are part of a fall and winter centric color scheme and one that has been prominent in the woods surrounding the studio. As you know I love taking nature inspired design and breaking it down into it's most modern and minimal elements and these two patterns are no different. The straight up and down stitch is a brand new pattern and one that I am looking forward to experimenting with a bit more.

Monday, August 25, 2014

When I think of fall, crisp nights, warm campfires, and breezy mountain mornings come to mind. This will be our first autumn up in the mountains and I am excited to see what changes it brings to our trees and surrounding flora. As you know, I love fall fashion and while I am always in favor of the classics, I like to keep a keen eye out for a new spin on some of my favorite staples.

Confession...I have been wearing flannel shirts since the 90's. I still have some of my first. They were men's of course, from J. Crew, actually. I wore them over sized with leggings and Doc Martins, steel toe so I could mosh at Roseland. I think I gave away too much there? Flannel kind of disappeared for a while,with the exception of LL Bean and Pendelton, but this year it is back in many forms and I am so excited to add a few new pieces to my closet.

My must have flannel this fall comes from local design house Poppy von Frohlich. Not only is every PvF piece designed in San Francisco, it is also made right here. Designer/owner Trudy rocks! She is a stay at home Mom, just like me and burns the candle at both ends taking care of her babe and making it work at PvF. Let's just say I have mad respect for this lady! I own and love her Gold Miner's Daughter shirt and will be getting myself a few more this year.

The fit is PERFECT! I'm tall and it is nearly impossible to find a shirt long and lean enough to move freely in. When I put on my shirt for the first time I felt like Trudy had made it just for me. A shirt that I can actually bend over in and not have to re-adjust everything when I stand back up?! Kind of a miracle. Trudy and I definitely share the same muse and I could rock some ZR + PvF 7 days a week.

Much like ZR, PvF is often made to order and in very limited runs, so if you see something you like, jump on it! I've got my eye on a few more flannels along with a Lumber Jane Coat this year. Follow along with Trudy on Instagram for updates on new releases and limited runs so you can be among the first to nab her next batch!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Perfect College Care Package

This post is sponsored by Tiny Prints. Thanks for supporting this partnership! All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

My sister-in-law Rachael graduated from college this past May and after years of sending boxes packed to the top filled with Costco sized Cheez-its and Red Vines I wondered if all the snacks and toiletries had been really been all that helpful. I asked Rachael her thoughts and with the job market being what it is these days she thought it best to skip the snacks and help our college aged friends make the most of their networks while still in school. It's a job market jungle out there, so why not help students learn to get a leg up before they head out on their own?

When it comes to business introductions it's no secret that I am stationary obsessed. I love a good business card and when making a first impression there is nothing like a well designed personal stationary suite to turn an interview or chance meeting into a memorable moment. To help us all balance out the care packages of Red Vines this year, I headed on over to Tiny Prints and pulled together some of my favorite custom stationary perfect for the design savvy college aged young lady in your life.

A selection of custom made personalized postcards, stationary, address labels, business cards and notebook from Tiny Prints.

Selecting the perfect stationary suite for a young, soon to be professional, is all about reflecting their personal style. For Rachael, I started with the bright and bold floral post card and matched everything else I knew she would need from there. It helps to stick to a singular style, like modern, graphic, feminine, etc. Then keep it to just a few colors. The most engaging stationary collections will have a just enough variety of pattern and colors to engage interest and stay cohesive.

And remember if you really get stuck, send a single item like a personalized notepad along with a gift card. And yes, it's still okay to throw in some Red Vines.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Back to school is one of my favorite times for fashion. Stores are stocked with beautiful and rich fall colors and fabrics. Button up shirts, blazers, and denim rule and if you love the classics as I do, this is your season. There are so many trends I'm excited about this fall. Wool felt hats, clogs, and chunky waffle knits are right up my alley.

When it comes to adding to my closet for fall, I'm always on the lookout for designs that will work well with what I already have. Many of you know, I'm big into incorporating heirlooms into my everyday looks, and this often requires a "missing piece" kind of hunt, looking for something that will tie everything together. This Colleen Mauer Bangle is definitely what I was looking for to pull together my love of mixing metals. A modern and minimal design, this Individual Gradient Bangle handcrafted by San Francisco designer Colleen Mauer combines gold and silver in a delicate gradient around your wrist.

This bangle will tie together some of my more complicated and intricate heirlooms rings and bracelets. It is number one on my fall shopping list and I can't wait to get a few around my wrist! Thanks Colleen for making such beautiful jewelry!

Friday, August 15, 2014

I SAID GODAMN! This year marks the 20th anniversary of my all time favorite film, Pulp Fiction. I saw Pulp Fiction in a small theatre at the Palmer Park Mall in Easton, Pennsylvania. I was in college and went opening day with a group of my guy friends who it seemed like had been waiting for the film for a decade. I had never seen a Quentin Tarantino film before. Crazy, right? Luckily I was fully schooled in the art of Tarantino before we went, mostly because Chad refused to talk and answer any questions during the film. Can you blame him? What unfolded was a long time love affair with not only Tarrantino, but Uma Thurman, trench coats, and red lipstick. And then there was the soundtrack. Obscure as hell, weird, haunting, but oh so cool. There are few things better than Dusty Springfield belting out Son of a Preacher Man. In tribute to my fave film and one of the coolest women around, Mrs. Mia Wallace, here's this week's 4 the Record and my modern take on what Mia might be wearing these days.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce today that over the next months I will be partnering with Tiny Prints!! If you don't know Tiny Prints, let me introduce you! Tiny Prints is THE online destination for well designed customizable stationary, holiday cards, invitations, and home decor. You know all those beautiful custom family portrait cards that arrive in your mailbox around the holidays? Chances are they have been created over at Tiny Prints! Over the next months, I will be bringing you personally curated collections of Tiny Prints products to inspire your own love of design and personal style. Each month will focus on a specific roundup of gorgeous goodies that you can customize and make your own over at tinyprints.com. Look for the first post next week!!

I am so excited about this partnership because I have had a long time design crush on Tiny Prints dating back to before my daughter was born. Surprisingly, searching for a Baby Shower invitation proved to be a frustrating task. Hard to imagine now, but at the time it was impossible to find a modern and well designed invitation that met our personal style. I searched all over, high and low, and ended up arriving at Tiny Prints thanks to a promotion I received in a magazine. Once I started looking at invitations at Tiny Prints, the problem became narrowing down which one we wanted! A set of Baby Shower invitations, personalized stationary for our baby girl, address labels, and a set of custom thank you notes later, we were at least ready for the correspondence part of being first time parents! Here's the invitation we picked out for our party!

A lot of time has passed since then, (we survived being first time parents, so far anyway), but over the years we have come back to Tiny Prints again and again for our holiday cards and updated stationary and moving announcements. I'm thrilled this time around to be sharing my personal style and custom Tiny Prints designs with you!

Come back next week for my first collection. Here's a hint, it's all about the business side of back to school.

Monday, August 11, 2014

With the maker movement in full swing there has been no shortage of great stories about craft, skill, and process. I love checking out videos and maker stories on sites like Maker's Market, BRIKA, and Madesmith. It's important to know where our goods come from and I love learning the stories behind what makers do everyday. While I have shared my own story on various sites and publications, I always feel like there is a missing piece. What remains one of the great mysteries of creativity is inspiration. How an idea, image, color, or pattern goes from a figment of the imagination to a concrete product. I've been at this whole fine arts + maker business for a while now and while I am often surprised by what inspires me, I can usually make sense of how an idea becomes a Zelma Rose design. Most of my inspiration comes from the visual. Color, pattern, and texture. Whether it comes in the form of a painting at a museum, a bird's nest, a mountain summit, or a $6,000 dress at Neiman Marcus, it's all fuel for the fire. With our recent move to the mountains, a good deal of my inspiration has come from the surrounding flora + fauna. I'm always finding incredible petals, branches, nuts, nests, and feathers around our property. With fox, deer, eagles, and lizards making daily appearances, looking out my studio windows can seem like my own private wilderness. To share this part of my inspiration with you I have embarked on a new project! I'm so excited to announce the launch of #storyofthestitch. Story of the Stitch is a visual journey of Zelma Rose designs from inspiration to finished product. I invite you to follow along with me on Instagram at @zelmarose. This week I will be posting images of inspiration of a single design from beginning to end. I invite you to take a look and join in by using the hashtag #storyofthestitch to include your own images of inspiration and process. I want to see what you are up to! Below is the first image, a pine cone that I found in the property outside my studio. The color will come into play later when we approach the design process. Stay tuned!

Friday, August 8, 2014

It's that time of year again when the ever so hip descend upon Golden Gate Park for a weekend of great music and outdoor peeing. Actually that could be every weekend, so let's just say it's time for Outside Lands. I thought it fitting that this week's 4 the Record style post focus on the original NorCal festival musicians, The Grateful Dead. If you must know, yes I did follow, and yeah I've eaten my share of parking lot burritos. Moving on...I hope this homage to great music, killer album design, and festival style gets your weekend off to a rockin' start.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Create this easy to make bouquet with plants foraged from your own backyard.

20 Minutes
Pruning Sheers
Fabric Tape
Scissors

When we first moved, I was short on time and wanted something handmade, simple, yet elegant to introduce ourselves to the neighborhood. While roaming the property one morning I began to gather some of the naturally growing greens. With some pruning sheers, a little fabric tape and a pair of sharp scissors, 15 minutes later I had fresh and fragrant bouquet to share with our new friends.

There is a lot of freedom with this project and it all really depends upon what you have growing in your yard. As you see we didn't have any flowers at the time, but I was able to gather some tree branches and herbs to create a modern monochrome arrangement. To add some interest to the bouquet prune plants of differing sizes and varieties.

I used a mix of Rosemary, lavender, and olive tree branches and kraft colored fabric tape I picked up at Once Around, a local craft store. Once you have your greens cut, lay them out on a flat surface and line up the bottoms of the stems.

The last step is my favorite as I am obsessed with tying the perfect bow. Place a piece of fabric tape underneath the gathered greens. I always recommend cutting about 1/3rd more than you think you need. This enables you to trim as you like and leaves enough to trim again if you don't get a clean edge the first time. Next,tie in a tight bow. This should be easy with fabric tape as it is not slippery and will hold the greens steady and firm. Lastly trim the tape, I like to trim on on angle.

And there you have it, a handmade backyard bouquet! Who will you give yours to?

Monday, August 4, 2014

The Bay Area has a unique climate and summer brings the biggest differences in temperatures we see all year. Up in the mountains the temperatures can be 30 degrees warmer during the day than at night and in Marin, our days are about 15 degrees warmer than in the city. My work day can go from fog and 63 degrees to full on sun and 95 at mid day. There really is no sane way to prepare for this type of temperature change, except to layer like crazy, keep a pair of flip flops in the car, and of course carry a really great light weight scarf.

Most customers are surprised when I tell them that my summer wardrobe is full of scarves. I have light weight woolen scarves for my days in the city and light gauzy cotton scarves to help block out the sun and keep me cool on the north side of the bridge. Price or brand does not discriminate when it comes to the scarves in my closet. I buy what I like and what will provide a nice accent to my summer dresses and denim. I'm always on the lookout for the perfect scarf, and last year while bringing Zelma Rose to Renegade Craft Fair in SF, I was lucky enough to meet Matthew and his brother from Late Sunday Afternoon.

Matthew makes the most beautiful limited edition lightweight cotton scarves right here in California. To say I love this scarf would be an understatement. I wear it almost everyday and I should probably at this point holler at Matthew for a few more. The cotton is soft, lightweight, and the length and width is perfect. It works on everyone, both men and women and easily translates to whatever your style may be. If you see me out and about or off duty the next few months, chances are I'll be wearing my Late Sunday Afternoon scarf.

Looking for the perfect summer scarf? Here are my must haves for finding a scarf to get you from summer to fall.

Cotton is best. Whether you end up using your scarf to block the sun or wipe up subway sweat (I hear ya NYC) nothing will work harder for you in August than cotton.

Washable. I admit I do have more than my share of dry clean only scarves in my closet, but when it comes to a summer scarf you will be sweating in, wearing suntan lotion under, and hopefully attending a few mean BBQ's with, focus on what can be thrown in the washing machine low maintenance style.

Length + Width. The perfect summer scarf can be wrapped around your shoulders, used as a hood over your head, and tied loosely to protect your chest from the sun. Look for something that is long enough to be wrapped around twice, and wide enough that it can cover your head and the top of your shoulders.

Pattern Play + Plain and Simple. If you find a scarf you really like, buy two. One is a neutral tone, like grey, tan, or blue and one in a pattern. You will be glad you have one you can dress up for the office and one you can dress down for the beach.

About Me

Zelma Rose is known for our wanderlust inspired goods in prints and patterns that evoke our deep love of nature. Entirely handcrafted from needlework artist Lisa Anderson Shaffer's original patterns, each premium Zelma Rose design is made to order in our mountainside studio right here in Fairfax, California.